MacNaught named head assistant coach at Upper Iowa

Upper Iowa Sports Information
05/30/2006

C.J. MacNaught, a 2006 NCAA Division II All-American, has been named head assistant wrestling coach at Upper Iowa.  He finished third at 174 pounds for UIU at the Division II National Tournament in March.

A two-year wrestler for the Peacocks, MacNaught was also a Division III national qualifier in 2003.  He served as a student assistant coach at UIU in 2004-05.  This season, MacNaught helped Upper Iowa to a 17th-place national finish in the University’s first year as a full-fledged D-II institution.  The team captain was also selected as the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Wrestler of the Week in January.  Off the mat, MacNaught was a Division II First Team Academic All-American and an Upper Iowa Athletic Department Student Scholar.  MacNaught had a 50-16 record in his two years at Upper Iowa and an overall collegiate mark of 88-36.

MacNaught started his collegiate wrestling career at Syracuse University, where he was a team captain as voted on by his peers.  At Syracuse, MacNaught was a two-time Scholar Athlete of the Week and a member of the Dean’s List.  Originally from Walton, N.Y., MacNaught compiled a 152-14 record at Walton High School.  He was a two-time state finalist.

MacNaught earned a B.S. degree in Information Management and Technology from Syracuse before receiving a B.S. degree in Marketing and Financial Management from Upper Iowa in May 2006.  Besides his coaching experience at UIU, MacNaught also served as the assistant wrestling coach at Sandy Creek (N.Y.) High School and as the head modified wrestling coach at Phoenix (N.Y.) Middle School.

“C.J. is a solid addition to our coaching staff,” said head coach Heath Grimm.  “His collegiate efforts in the classroom and on the wrestling mat will serve as a model for our wrestlers.  His loyalty and commitment to this awesome sport are unmatched.”

Upper Iowa University, located in Fayette, is the only NCAA Division II institution in the state of Iowa.